Collapsible shelter for mounting on a transportation vehicle

ABSTRACT

A collapsible shelter particularly adapted for mounting on a transportation vehicle. The collapsible shelter includes a rigid receptacle mounted on a vehicle and a collapsible shelter roof stored in the receptacle and extendable from the receptacle to provide sheltered sleeping accommodations. The collapsible shelter includes a rigid receptacle cover which, in a stored attitude, covers the receptacle to protect the interior. However, the cover is removable to provide additional sleeping space under an extended portion of the shelter roof. A plurality of supports is connected to the shelter roof and to the receptacle for supporting the roof above the receptacle.

United States Patent Franzen 51 Nov. 14, 1972 4] COLLAPSIBLE SHELTER FOR FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 233 12 A mANsPoRTAnON 1,378,610 10/1964 France ..13s/4 A 489,438 111954 ltaly ..135/4 A [72 Inventor: Edwin F. Franzen, 3673 Randolph 494,107 5/1954 ltaly ..135/4 A Street, Lansing, 111. 60438 [2]] Appl. No.: 71,988

[52] US. Cl. ..l35/1 A [51] Int. Cl. ..E04b U347 [58] Field ofSearclI ..135/1A,4A

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,848,007 8/1958 Churchill 135/4 A 2,937,651 5/1960 Van Tassel ..135/4 A 3,323,827 6/1967 Lundby ..135/1 A 3,009,471 1 1/1961 Rossiter ..135/4 A 2,459,026 1/1949 Hardy ..135/1 A 3,006,353 10/1961 Richardson 135/4 A 3,028,609 4/1962 Tolf ..135/1 A 2,930,051 3/1960 Kampmeier ..135/1 A Attorney-Stone, Zummer, Livingston & Aubel ABSTRACT A collapsible shelter particularly adapted for mounting on a transportation vehicle. The collapsible shelter includes a rigid receptacle mounted on a vehicle and a collapsible shelter roof stored in the receptacle and extendable from the receptacle to provide sheltered sleeping accommodations. The collapsible shelter includes a rigid receptacle cover which, in a stored attitude, covers the receptacle to protect the interior. However, the cover is removable to provide additional sleeping space under an extended portion of the shelter roof. A plurality of supports is connected to the shelter roof and to the receptacle for supporting the roof above the receptacle.

PATENIEDunv 14 m2 SHEET 2 0F 3 7ZUZ7ZZ07 rwanii Iran zen PATENTEDHM 14 m2 SHEEI 3 [IF 3 COLLAPSIBLE SHELTER FOR MOUNTING ON A TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a continuation-in-part of US. Pat. application Ser. No. 36,709, filed May 13, 1970, entitled COL- LAPSIBLE SHELTER FOR MOUNTING ON A TRANSPORTATION DEVICE.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With an increase in availability of leisure time, traveling and camping have become widely accepted activities, not only for individuals but also for family groups. Many families who wish to travel and camp find that it is desirable to provide a camping facility which may accommodate the entire family. Although tents and trailers have achieved widespread use, there are certain difficulties in hauling a trailer. A tent provides a problem in erecting the tent and collapsing it when it is to be moved to another location. Furthermore, in instances where a family is traveling a substantial distance and the family does not wish to go to the expense of renting a hotel or motel for an evening, a tent or trailer is not particularly desirable because the tent takes time to set up and take down, while the trailer slows down the rate of travel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an improved collapsible shelter which is mountable on a transportation vehicle. This shelter is a substantial improvement over tents and trailers in that it requires very little space and it may be set up with a great deal of facility. The shelter includes a mattress receptacle which is mounted on a vehicle such as on the roof of an automobile. A collap sible shelter roof is mounted within the receptacle with a plurality of supports which support the roof in an erected attitude. Within the receptacle, there is a pair of mattresses which are positioned one on top of the other. A rigid receptacle cover is mounted on top of the receptacle and protects the interior of the receptacle. The cover is removed from the receptacle and is placed proximate to the receptacle. The roof is erected, and the roof includes an extension which extends over the receptacle cover. One of the mattresses then may be removed from the mattress receptacle and placed in the receptacle cover to provide a shelter which will accommodate four persons for sleeping. The shelter may be collapsed with a great degree of facility simply by removing the mattress in the receptacle cover, folding down the roof, and replacing the receptacle cover over the receptacle.

It is one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a collapsible shelter which may be set up with a minimum of effort and collapsed with a minimum of effort, which shelter is sufiiciently large to accommodate four persons.

It is another object of this invention to provide a collapsible shelter construction which may be easily transported in a compact attitude to minimize the amount of bulk of the shelter.

It is a further object of the herein-disclosed invention to provide a collapsible shelter which is economical and efficient to manufacture and may be mounted on a vehicle with a minimum of effort.

Other objects and uses of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a perusal of the following specification in light of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an automobile with a collapsible shelter embodying the present invention shown mounted on the roof of the automobile, with the shelter shown in a closed attitude;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view showing the shelter of FIG. 1 in an extended attitude with a portion of the shelter broken away in order to display better the interior construction thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a receptacle and supports of the shelter, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2',

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, showing the upper portion of the shelter shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4, but showing portions of the shelter in a collapsed attitude in order to display better the construction of the shelter;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the collapsed shelter, showing all of the parts positioned in the receptacle but with the cover removed; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on Line 7-7 of FIG. 1, showing the interior construction of the shelter when the shelter is in a collapsed attitude.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, a collapsible shelter generally indicated by numeral 10 is shown mounted on a roof of an automobile 12 on a pair of conventional mounting brackets 13. As may be best seen in FIG. 2, the collapsible shelter 10 generally includes a mattress receptacle 14 with a collapsible shelter roof 16 connected to the receptacle 14. A plurality of roof supports 18 is connected to the receptacle and to the roof. A side curtain 20 is connected to the roof; and as is seen in FIG. 2, a receptacle cover 22 is shown positioned on the ground adjacent to the vehicle 12. A first light-weight foam rubber mattress 24 is positioned in the cover 22, and a second light-weight foam rubber mattress 26 is positioned in the receptacle 14. A ladder 28 is connected to one side of the receptacle I4 and extends down into the receptacle cover 22 adjacent to mattress 24.

The mattress receptacle 14, as may be best seen in FIG. 3, is generally rectangular and has a flat rigid bottom 30. The bottom is rectangular in shape and has side walls 32, 34, 36 and 38 formed integral with each of the edges of the bottom. A pair of inner walls 40 and 42 is formed integral with the bottom and with the side walls 32 and 36. These inner walls 40 and 42 are lower than the side walls and are parallel to the opposed walls 34 and 38, but are spaced slightly therefrom for reasons which will become apparent hereinafter. The receptacle I4 is made of a fiberglass construction to make the device one which has high strength and light weight. It is readily apparent that though a fiberglass construction is utilized herein, any other suitable material may also be used rather than fiberglass.

The roof supports 18 are four generally U-shaped members or supports pivotedly connected to the receptacle 14. Although four U-shaped members are used in this specific construction, it is apparent that a lesser or a greater number may be used in another specific construction. In this instance, the supports are made of metal tubing, though any other suitable construction may be used. The roof supports include a U-shaped support 44 which has the free ends of its arms pivotedly connected to the inner walls 40 and 42 in a conventional manner. Roof support 44 has its arms pivotedly connected to the inner walls adjacent to the side wall 36. Roof support 46 also has the free ends of its arms pivotedly connected to the inner walls 40 and 42 in a conventional manner. The arms of support 46 are longer than the arms of support 44, the immediately adjacent support. The arms of support 46 are connected to the inner walls 40 and 42 at a distance slightly higher and spaced further away from side wall 36 than the point of connection of the arms of support 44, for reasons which will become apparent hereinafter. The next support is support 48, which is also pivotedly connected to the inner walls 40 and 42. Support 48 has arms which are longer than the arms of support 46. The support 48 is connected to the inner walls at a point higher and further away from side wall 36 than the support 46. The last support, that is, support 50, is also pivotedly connected to the inner walls 40 and 42 adjacent to the side wall 32. The arms of support 50 are longer than the arms of support 48, and support 50 is pivotedly connected to the inner walls at a point higher than the support 48. It may be appreciated that when the supports 18 are positioned in a horizontal attitude, the arms of support 46 lie on top of the arms of support 44, and those of support 48 lie on top of those of support 46, and the arms of support 50 lie on top of the arms of support 48, as is shown in FIG. 7. It should also be noted that the arms of the supports lie in the space between the inner walls and their respective side walls. From the foregoing, it is apparent that the axis of pivoting of each of the supports in generally parallel to the length of the automobile.

The support 50 is the support which has the longest arms, and it may be pivoted approximately 180 to the attitude shown in FIG. 2. In order to allow the support 50 to pivot fully, the side wall 32 has a pair of notches 52 and 54 cut therein to allow the support to assume a substantially horizontal attitude. It may be seen that the support 50 extends over the entire width of the receptacle 14 when the support is in a stored attitude. However, when the supports are extended, support 50 assumes an attitude such as that shown in FIG. 2, providing an extension out beyond the receptacle 14. It may be appreciated that in the event that it would be necessary to make the extension be even greater, the arms of support 50 may be made to telescope so that the support could be extended for even a further extension.

The collapsed shelter roof 16 is, in this instance, made of a canvas material, though any other suitable material may be used. The roof includes a top panel 56 and a pair of side panels 58. The top panel 56 is conventionally secured to the horizontal portions of the roof supports 18.

The cover 22 is similar in its construction to the mattress receptacle 14 in that it is also a fiberglass construction, though any other light-weight, high strength construction may be used. Cover 22 includes a top 60 having a rectangular shape, with cover side walls 62 formed integral with the edges of the top. The cover 22 is positioned on top of the receptacle 14 with the side walls 62 mateably receiving the side walls of the receptacle, as may be best seen in FIG. 7. The side walls 62 have a plurality of fasteners 64 secured thereto for connecting curtain 20 to the cover.

The curtain 20 is a plurality of canvas panels, though the panels may be made of any other suitable material. An outer side panel 66 is one of the panels of the curtain and has a zippered doorway 68 formed therein. The top of the panel 66 is connected to the end of the roof top panel 56, as is best seen in FIG. 4, and the bottom is releasably connected to the cover by snaps 69, though a zipper could be used instead. A pair of identical front and rear panels 70 is connected to the outer side panel 66. The front and rear panels are each connected to the roof side panel 58 by a zipper 72. The lower edge of each of the front and rear panels 70 is releasably connected to the cover 22 by means of snaps 73. An inner side panel 74 is connected to the receptacle and is releasably connected to the front and rear panels by zippers 76.

When the shelter is erected and placed into use, as may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the ladder 28 is connected to side wall 32 of the receptacle. The ladder 28 is a folding ladder having a hinge 78 at its center. At the upper end of the ladder, there is a hook 80 which engages the side wall 32, and the lower portion of the ladder has a slight offset 82 to allow the ladder to fit in between the side wall of the cover and the mattress 24.

When the shelter 10 is used on an automobile, as shown herein, the shelter may be put into operation very quickly with a minimum of effort. The cover 22 is simply removed from the receptacle 14. The cover is placed on the ground adjacent to the automobile 12. The outer side panel 66 is pulled from the receptacle to pull out with it the roof support 50, which is connected to the top panel. As the roof support is pivoted upward, it also pulls out the remainder of the top panel until the entire top panel is extended with an extension along the side wall 32 of the receptacle, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. The front and rear panels 70 are folded out, and the zippers '72 then connect the panels to the respective side panels 58. At this point in the erection of the shelter, other occupants of the automobile would be able to leave the automobile and stand on the cover, protected from the weather. The inner side panel 74 is extended, and the zippers 76 connect the vertical edges of the inner side panel to the front and rear panels 70. The bottoms of the panels are then snapped to the cover 22, The ladder 28 is unfolded and placed in position by placing the hook 80 over the side wall 32 to provide a means for easy climbing into the receptacle. The mattress 24 is then dropped down into the cover, exposing the mattress 26.

In order to collapse the shelter for traveling, it is a simple matter to move the mattress 24 into the receptacle on top of mattress 26. The zippers 76 are unm'pped to disengage the inner side panel from the front and rear panels 70. The inner side panel 74 is folded into the receptacle. The front and rear panels are then disengaged from the roof side panels 58 by unzipping the zippers 72. The front and rear panels are then folded onto the outer side panel, and the panels then may be rolled up, as shown in FIG. 5, to facilitate handling of the panels. The roof support 50 is then pivoted upward, carrying with it the roof top panel 56 so that the support 44 drops down with the support 46 on top of the support 44; and then the support 48 drops on top of support 46, and finally support 50 is laid on top of support 48. The canvas material forming the side panels 58 is positioned in the space between the respective inner walls and the respective side walls, along with the arms of the supports. The side panels then may be rolled out to make the panels flat over the roof panel, and the cover is then placed over the receptacle. it may be appreciated that the ladder 28 may be folded and placed in the receptacle, or it may be stored in some other place. it may also be appreciated that other materials may also be stored under the cover.

Although a specific order of raising and collapsing the shelter has been set forth herein, it is readily apparent that an operator may use any particular specific order of steps in erecting and collapsing the shelter. From the foregoing, it may be seen that the shelter, in its completely erected attitude, may readily sleep four persons, that is, two on the mattress in the receptacle and two on the mattress in the cover. However, it is also apparent that there may be many instances where it is not necessary to accommodate four persons so that both mattresses may be left in the mattress receptacle and the cover simply be used to provide a floor for the area under the roof. It may be particularly desirable, in certain instances, to provide a dry floor area in certain areas where the ground may be particularly damp or particularly dry. Thus, the occupants would have a good floor area for utilization in changing clothing or simply resting prior to or subsequent to going to bed.

Although a specific embodiment has been shown and described in detail above, it is readily apparent that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and changes in the specific construction shown and described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is to be expressly understood that the instant invention is limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A collapsible shelter adapted for mounting on the roof of a motor vehicle comprising, a rigid receptacle removably secured to the roof of the motor vehicle, said receptacle being generally rectangular in configuration and including a flat rectangular floor and a side wall connected to each edge of the floor, a pair of inner walls fixedly connected to the floor of the receptacle substantially parallel to a pair of opposed side walls of the receptacle, a mattress positioned in the receptacle between the inner walls and a pair of opposed side walls, a collapsible shelter storably positioned in the receptacle, said collapsible shelter including a eollapsible shelter roof positionable above the receptacle and outwardly to one side of the motor vehicle, a plurality of generally U-shaped supports each having its free ends pivotedly connected to the inner walls and being storable in said receptacle, a portion of each support being stored between an inner wall and the adjacent side wall parallel to the inner wall, said plurality of supports being connected to the collapsible shelter roof for selectively holding the shelter roof above the receptacle 1nd outw y to one side of the motor vehicle a r1 receptac e cover removably connected to the receptacle and being positionable adjacent to the motor vehicle at substantially ground level and below the shelter roof to be protected thereby, said receptacle cover including a top and continuous cover side walls formed integral with the top at the periphery thereof, and said collapsible shelter including a plurality of panels extendible from the collapsible shelter roof to the receptacle cover and being secured to the cover side walls of the receptacle cover to form an enclosed shelter in cooperation with the shelter roof and the receptacle cover.

2. A collapsible shelter adapted for mounting on a vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said U-shaped supports each having a greater length of its arms than the adjacent support between it and one side wall of the receptacle; the support adjacent to the opposite side wall of the receptacle being pivoted to an attitude to extend beyond the receptacle to support an extended portion of the shelter roof; and a second mattress positioned in the receptacle between the inner walls and between opposed side walls.

* i t t i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 702 617 Dated Nmremher 1 4 1912- Erwin F. Franzen lnventor(s) the aboveidentified patent It is certified that error appears in own below:

and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as sh The name of the inventor should be "Erwin F. Franzen" instead of Edwin F. Franzen Column 3, line 40, "in" should be is This certificate supersedes Certificate of Correction issued Mar. 13, 1973.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of December 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. Attesting Officer C. MARSHALL DANN Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-IOSD (IO-691 USCOMM-DC 60376-P 9 U S GOVERNMENV PRINTING O FICE 9 9 0 

1. A collapsible shelter adapted for mounting on the roof of a motor vehicle comprising, a rigid receptacle removably secured to the roof of the motor vehicle, said receptacle being generally rectangular in configuration and including a flat rectangular floor and a side wall connected to each edge of the floor, a pair of inner walls fixedly connected to the floor of the receptacle substantially parallel to a pair of opposed side walls of the receptacle, a mattress positioned in the receptacle between the inner walls and a pair of opposed side walls, a collapsible shelter storably positioned in the receptacle, said collapsible shelter including a collapsible shelter roof positionable above the receptacle and outwardly to one side of the motor vehicle, a plurality of generally U-shaped supports each having its free ends pivotedly connected to the inner walls and being storable in said receptacle, a portion of each support being stored between an inner wall and the adjacent side wall parallel to the inner wall, said plurality of supports being connected to the collapsible shelter roof for selectively holding the shelter roof above the receptacle and outwardly to one side of the motor vehicle, a rigid receptacle cover removably connected to the receptacle and being positionable adjacent to the motor vehicle at substantially ground level and below the shelter roof to be protected thereby, said receptacle cover including a top and continuous cover side walls formed integral with the top at the periphery thereof, and said collapsible shelter including a plurality of panels extendible from the collapsible shelter roof to the receptacle cover and being secured to the cover side walls of the receptacle cover to form an enclosed shelter in cooperation with the shelter roof and the receptacle cover.
 2. A collapsible shelter adapted for mounting on a vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said U-shaped supports each having a greater length of its arms than the adjacent support between it and one side wall of the receptacle; the support adjacent to the opposite side wall of the receptacle being pivoted to an attitude to extend beyond the receptacle to support an extended portion of the shelter roof; and a second mattress positioned in the receptacle between the inner walls and between opposed side walls. 